many of these prophecies. And his expositions of those predictions, carry a degree of evidence, which forces the mind to acquiesce. The author of this treatise has availed himself, on many occasions, of his assistance, as well as of the exposition of Doctor Yung.

I will now attempt to illustrate my own system of prophetic chronology, concerning the ordinary and methodical times used by the spirit of prophecy in the Apocalypse; as also of those indetermined terms of time, in the limitation and adjustment of which, I humbly assume to differ from the decision of the great Bengelius. The author enters on this subject with unaffected diffidence-he treads on holy ground with awe. Yet a conscious rectitude of intention, a hope of obtaining the reader's indulgence, and a conviction of this subject, being peculiarly seasonable at this perilous time, have animated him in this undertaking, to which he otherwise avows himself unequal. He would therefore entreat all, who honour this treatise with any degree of attention, duly to consider his arguments on so important a subject. As he shall do little more, than draw the reader's mind to notice the internal method, and the contents of the Revelation itself, his authorities cannot be invalidated, if once firmly established.

The Apocalypse is a series of prophecies, arranged by the Divine hand into an admirable system, which constitutes it one great whole. It cannot be explained by detached pieces, like other prophetical books of the holy scriptures. Its general design must be known, the harmony of the different parts, and their dependence on each other understood, to warrant an author in this enterprise. No book of the Old or New Testament is so designedly written with art and wisdom, as to general method and adjustment of all its particular parts, as these sacred oracles; and this internal method of the prophecy itself, into which its whole contents are adjusted, constitutes and expresses a

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· prophetic chronology, or computation of times, and periods, in which these predictions are to meet their completion. Not only the contents of this book are prophetic, but also the order and method in which its contents are presented to us, is expressive of the times and periods of the church of Christ, under the New Testament dispensation. Some of my readers will take this, to be no more than a hypothesis as yet; however a series of signal events will soon convince them, that it is a well established truth.

The prelate Bengelius's system of calculation on the determined prophetic times, is neither erroneous nor defective; if those numbers which it comprises, are taken to be no more, than what the spirit of prophecy intended them to be, to wit, extraordinary numbers, to enlarge the methodical periods of time in this book. But if we attempt to arrange the whole series of prophecies by them, this system is certainly very imperfect, and by no means satisfactory to an inquisitive mind. It only touches some particular links in this extensive chain of predictions, and leaves all the rest without a proper chronological adjustment. Hence the learned prelate's system has neither a certain date, nor a perfectly important fact, from which to commence the train of accomplishments; and in all those points, which it does not immediately regulate and determine, there is too much room for the ingenuity of man. Although he has marked the greater part of the accomplishments of these prophecies with a lucky and firm hand; yet, by reason of these imperfections of his system of calculation, the mind will barely yield him a high degree of probability. They always induced me to search, in expectation of another key to a new system of prophetic time, as a main basis to the numbers of his computation. Such a one would be desirable and necessary, as would supply all those deficiencies, arrange the whole series of prophecies, shew the length of every link in this chain, the period of every prediction, in which it is to be accom

plished, and determine its precise point of beginning and. end; and such a one could not fail of producing effects, worthy of this Revelation. For it is the concatenation of a series of prophecies, and their completion in the signal events of many centuries, which furnishes an argument of such strength and force, as even to awe infidelity into silence and dismay. A system of prophetic chronology of this kind, the spirit of prophecy has certainly given somewhere, for it is promised in Daniel xii. and such a one, I humbly conceive to have discovered in the Apocalypse.

The general design of the Revelation is, a prophetic history of the triumph of the Christian Religion, or in other words, of the great conflict between the Redeemer of the world and the prince of darkness, from its commencement to its final termination. Every emblematical presentation in the order of the whole vision, has its appropriated place in this plan of action-and only there, and no where else will it meet its genuine completion. A prophetic chronology therefore, by which the whole series of predictions is arranged and adjusted in due order, must begin in the same moment of time, with the prophecy, otherwise its dates would not accord with the history of the church, and of nations. Most authors begin the accomplishment of these prophecies from the year '96, in which the apostle received the Revelation in the island of Patmos; but this is surely a mistake, for both the church and the great conflict commenced before that time. It would have been most agreeable, to affix the first link of this chain to the week of our Lord's passion; but it cannot be extended to that point. The prophecy itself also presupposes in its five first chapters, the Lamb of God as slain, and the seven churches in Asia minor as planted. Daniel affixes chapter ix. 26, 27. the final doom of his nation, to the expiration of his seventy weeks of years. There the church of the Old Testament had been visibly and forever razed and abolished; and precisely to the

year of the destruction of Jerusalem, A. D. '72, the prophetic chronology of the Apocalypse affixes its commencement.

I have no reason to fear a clashing of history with the dates of my computation-I only apprehend, my first principle will be found too simple, and artless with those, who perhaps have all this time been expecting, to meet with a concealed and profound system. But this simplicity and plainness ought not to be considered a defect, it should induce us more readilyto receive it; for it is, no doubt, the will of God, that this important Revelation should be of benefit to all, as it imports all to know it; and that this calculation of prophetic time should be intelligible, even to the weakest capacity.

The seventh number has been consecrated as sacred, from the beginning of the world. And although infidelity has levelled many a sneer at it, yet in that measure of time, God finished the creation of heaven and earth. Moses and the prophets make a frequent use of it; and here in the Apocalypse, the frequent occurrence of this number, is even remarkable and striking. There can be no doubt, but it is a very secret, profound and important measure of time, since the whole economy of the Old Testament dispensation, both in its civil and ecclesiastical departments, was thereby regulated. The great Creator measures it out by the motions of the heavenly bodies; since this is the general valid measure of time in our solar system, by which, according to Bengelius, all their revolutions are determined without a fraction; from all of which we may safely conclude, that it has its sure foundation in the eternal councils of Heaven. The prophet Daniel has it in his seventy prophetic weeks, by which he determines the duration, and destinies of the Jewish church and we have reason to believe, that it may also be the keynumber to the times of the New Testament church, and that it may run on even to the consummation of all things.

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An attentive reader of the Apocalypse, must at least, find it striking and remarkable, to meet so frequently with this number here. We read of seven spirits before the throne of God; of a Lamb, having seven horns and seven eyes; of seven Thunders; of a Dragon with seven heads; a beast, with seven heads, and one with the same number from the bottomless pit. But still more remarkable are the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven vials, by which this series of prophecies is evidently arranged into a methodical order of time and periods. All these terms are surely founded on a certain measure of time, by which the prosperous and calamitous events of the church are limited to numbers and periods; and whoever discovers that measure, has found the key to a full assurance and certainty, in the exposition of this prophecy.

With this key I will acquaint my indulgent reader; though with all due deference to the judgment of the wise, the abilities of the able, and the labours of the learned. It consists in a peculiar application of the (Hebdomadæ) prophetic weeks of Daniel, to the Apocalypse. There are seven seals, and the seventh contains the seven trumpets. Every seal and every trumpet, comprises a period of seven prophetic weeks, or forty-nine years; and the prophecy under these seals, discloses the most interesting and remarkable events, which are to happen to the church of Christ during that time. This is signified by the seventh number. But since the Revelation contains the history of the triumphs of the Son of God, over the powers of darkness, the fiftieth year, or the year of Jubilee, should every time be counted in; which caused such remarkable Epochas in the Jewish church and state, Leviticus xxv. 27. The seventh seal however cannot, consistently with the order of the prophecy, be taken into the computation, for itself, as it comprises the seven trumpets; which are a new continuation of periods and events, of the same length with